Sophomore slump busters

Posted: Saturday, April 01, 2006

ATLANTA - While navigating the aisles at their neighborhood grocery store in January, Atlanta Braves sophomores-to-be Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann spotted a baseball season preview magazine with Francoeur's picture on the cover.

Francoeur, the bubbly 22-year-old right fielder, bounced over, picked the magazine up and began thumbing through it. The perm-a-grin that perpetually inhabits his face soon disappeared. The cover story wasn't flattering.

"A couple of the scouts, NL scouts, were ripping me. Just ripping me," said Francoeur, who came up red-hot from Double A in early July, wound up hitting .300 and finished third in the NL rookie of the year voting. "They said I swing too much and I'll never hit above .260 because I'll swing so much. I was blown away."

Thus, the idea of the sophomore slump was introduced to Francoeur. And rudely.

At this point, it's a guessing game about a chess game. It's how Francoeur - and Atlanta's other rookies - will adjust to the league's pitching. And how the pitchers adjust to the Braves' youngsters.

Also, along the same lines, it's how Atlanta's young pitchers will handle the league's hitting.

Personally, Francoeur said he completely dismisses the idea of a second-year jinx. Bear in mind, this is an individual who's already had to come eye-to-eye with another famous hex. Francoeur was on the Sports Illustrated cover in mid-August.

"It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. I think that if you work hard and put your time in and stay disciplined, there's no reason for a sophomore slump," Francoeur said. "Yeah, you're going to struggle at times just like everybody else, but hopefully at the end your numbers will be right where you want them."

So what will work to curb a sophomore slowdown for the youngest Braves? Francoeur and McCann? Starter Kyle Davies? Left fielder Ryan Langerhans? Relievers Joey Devine, Macay McBride and Blaine Boyer? Utility infielders Pete Orr and Wilson Betemit?

For one thing, veteran third baseman Chipper Jones said, cohesiveness. There's something to the chemistry that the Baby Braves exhibited last season, when a total of 18 rookies played a part in Atlanta's 14th consecutive division title run.

"These guys, they all pull for each other. They all help each other out," Jones said. "There's great chemistry. And that's not something you see all the time around baseball."

That idea probably goes back to the fact that many of the second-year players are from Georgia. Francoeur talked earlier this week about how long he'd known his teammates.

He remembered facing Davies when he was 10. Playing against Boyer when he was 12 and Boyer was 14. Playing with McCann when he was 12.

Another reason the Braves believe they can avoid a sophomore slump is work ethic. As an example, Francoeur and McCann went at it hard in their offseason preparations. Francoeur added between 10-15 pounds and has turned into a showman with his homer-barrage during batting practice.

McCann, who will be the team's everyday catcher after Johnny Estrada was dealt to Arizona, worked especially on his defense, doing as many agility and footwork drills as possible. Through Tuesday, he's thrown out more than 50 percent of runners that have attempted steals. Last year, he gunned down just four of 26 (15 percent), something that embarrassed him, he has said.

Yet another reason they believe they will succeed is comfort. Each of the rookie class of 2005 talks about how antsy and self-conscious he was when he entered Atlanta's clubhouse for the first time.

"It's just overwhelming," said Devine, a first-round pick last year who eventually rose to the major league level. "As a young player, these are all the guys that you've grown up watching. There are all these veterans that you've grown up watching and here you walk into the same clubhouse with them and they're sitting right next to you."

In fact, most said, it took until this spring to relax and understand their place in the scheme of things. McCann said he now even feels fully comfortable voicing his opinions when catching the staff.

A final reason for the young Braves' confidence is motivation. As in what Francoeur caught sight of in the grocery store. There is a group that essentially expects the Braves' youth to stumble in year No. 2. Francoeur is at the center of that anticipation.

"I definitely think it's built motivation for me," he said. "I'm not stupid. I read a lot of stuff, with people saying I'm going to swing at too much crap and that I'm not going to be well prepared my second year.

"I'm ready to go out there and show, 'Hey, I can play in this league. I can play my second year.'"

McCann said underestimation in Francoeur could be an error on the pundits' parts.

"I know him. I know never to doubt him," McCann said. "I've learned that living with him the last five years. If he tells you he can do something, don't bet against him."

Perhaps that's a concept that should be adopted for the rest of the still-growing Baby Braves.

Relying on rookies

Rookies played a major role in the Atlanta Braves winning their 14th consecutive division title last year. A total of 18 reached the field for the Braves. Nine of those could make an impact in their second years. They are below, with 2005 stats.